With graduation in sight, Mariea is contemplative about the benefits of getting her degree at Notre Dame College. “Before coming to Notre Dame, I learned that even if you work hard and are good at your job, you can be intimidated because the workforce is becoming educated. You need a college degree to be competitive anymore.”

After her first year in the Weekend College at Notre Dame, Mariea realized that not only could she earn a college degree, but she could earn it with honors. “I had been out of school 20 years when I went into WECO. Even though I felt a little rusty at first, it wasn’t long before I got back into the swing of things with studying and preparing for tests. Pretty soon, I realized not only could I do this, but I really loved it!”

Notre Dame’s tradition of personalized attention helps WECO create a unique learning community for adult students. Mariea credits this environment for much of her success. “It was important to be in an adult atmosphere. It was something I really appreciated. There were no cell phones ringing in class, and nobody was talking when the professor was talking. We were all here to learn.”

Now, Mariea is planning a future as college graduate, and will graduate with honors. “My time at Notre Dame has been incredible. I’m going to miss it so much. But now I have a college degree, and that is something that nobody can ever take away from me.”

Notre Dame College does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, national origin, age or disability in the administration of its academic and admission policies, scholarship and financial assistance programs and other College-administrated services.